Image by author | Logo courtesy of Wizards of the Coast
Edge of Eternities (EOE) is close to unveiling its first previews; they may arrive as soon as Friday, June 20th. The set and setting both show potential and have many implications for the known Magic Multiverse. However, since the advent of the Universes Beyond initiative, players have wondered what tie-ins might apply to a set like EOE.
This article aims to explore the potential of the space opera set and discern whether any particular intellectual properties mesh well with the potential that Magic: The Gathering could provide.
As such, I'll list a few options that seem feasible, as well as an Honorable Mention that isn't quite there for a few reasons. Before you inquire, Star Wars is a Disney property, as are Firefly, Serenity, and The Fifth Element, all by way of Fox. For that reason, we are not considering these for the potential of a tie-in. With that, let's (boldly) go!
<h2>Honorable Mention: Lost In Space (1965)</h2>
<div id="attachment_156641" style="width: 402px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lost-in-space-poster.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156641" class="wp-image-156641" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lost-in-space-poster.png" alt="Lost In Space (1965). Image credit: CBS" width="392" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lost-in-space-poster.png 359w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/lost-in-space-poster-210x300.png 210w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px" /></a>Lost In Space (1965). Image credit: CBS</div>
Lost In Space, a television show from 1965, is my choice of an Honorable Mention for this article, as it's memorable for the few major iconic aspects it has.
However, while it's been remade into multiple films and even a Netflix show, the source material is a bit obscure for modern audiences. As Magic is a game with an intended demographic of 13+ years of age, many of this show's nuances would be lost on its younger players and collectors.
Furthermore, Lost In Space is a CBS property now, and as such is owned in part by Paramount, but it was originally a 20th Century Fox production. With Disney owning Fox and developing another rival card game, Lost In Space may not get the attention it might still need to shine.
<h2>The Dune Series</h2>
<div id="attachment_156642" style="width: 383px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/dune-poster.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156642" class="wp-image-156642" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/dune-poster.png" alt="Dune (1984). Image credit: Universal Pictures" width="373" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/dune-poster.png 600w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/dune-poster-200x300.png 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 373px) 100vw, 373px" /></a>Dune (1984). Image credit: Universal Pictures</div>
Author Frank Herbert's magnum opus, the Dune novel series, was such a successful series that it received multiple films adapted from it. Legendary Pictures' Dune film series seems like the shoo-in for Magic: The Gathering to adapt into Universes Beyond (and rightly so, as Legendary is adapting Magic for the screen!).
However, it's also plausible that we could get the Dune of 1984, directed by the late, great David Lynch.
The Dune series as a whole already has a ton going for it. It's a space opera, and so it fits right into the timeline for Edge of Eternities to tie it into things. We recently got a card called <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sandworm" href="#" target="_blank">Sandworm</a> in Final Fantasy (a far cry from Shai-Hulud, yes, but a Sandworm nonetheless). Not to mention, Outlaws of Thunder Junction recently gave us a plethora of cards with the Desert subtype!
For these reasons and probably more, Dune could quite possibly be a tie-in we're on the verge of seeing.
<h2>The Outer Worlds (2019)</h2>
<div id="attachment_156643" style="width: 429px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-outer-worlds-key-art.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156643" class="wp-image-156643" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-outer-worlds-key-art.png" alt="The Outer Worlds (2019). Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment" width="419" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-outer-worlds-key-art.png 600w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-outer-worlds-key-art-225x300.png 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px" /></a>The Outer Worlds (2019). Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment</div>
In a world simultaneously plagued by a space race and the rat race, The Outer Worlds feels a bit on the money. However, as it has been pointed out to me, it too essentially has space operatic elements.
We already know that Wizards of the Coast really likes when a property they're adapting to Universes Beyond has something upcoming when the Universes Beyond adaptation releases. Lord of the Rings had The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime. Fallout's television show came out around the same time its Commander decks did. And Jurassic World: Dominion was relatively fresh in players' minds when Lost Caverns of Ixalan came out.
With a sequel coming out later this year, The Outer Worlds might be a great choice for a tie-in with Edge of Eternities.
<h2>The Star Trek Series</h2>
<div id="attachment_156644" style="width: 405px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/star-trek-poster.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156644" class="wp-image-156644" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/star-trek-poster.png" alt="Star Trek (1966). Image credit: Paramount Global" width="395" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/star-trek-poster.png 500w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/star-trek-poster-212x300.png 212w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px" /></a>Star Trek (1966). Image credit: Paramount Global</div>
Finally, and what I believe might be the most apt possibility for a tie-in with Edge of Eternities, we have the Star Trek series.
As Star Wars' biggest competitor for "greatest space opera," Star Trek is also an eligible space opera that players will resonate with most out of all the others. A more utopian look at the future of galactic peace than either Star Wars or Dune, Paramount Global also owns this property.
For those at home keeping score, Paramount Global is the entity that hosts shows like SpongeBob Squarepants and Avatar: The Last Airbender on its streaming service, Paramount+. If those two seem even a little bit familiar to you, it's no surprise. We previously got a Universes Beyond property for it (in SpongeBob's case) or will later this year (in ATLA's case).
So, in many ways, Star Trek is likely the most plausible option for a tie-in for Edge of Eternities out of all of these possibilities by far.
With that, I'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers. What space opera makes the most sense for Wizards of the Coast to add to their Universes Beyond portfolio? And are you excited for Edge of Eternities? Sound off below!

Could Edge of Eternities Have a Universes Beyond Tie-In?

Which Planes Should We Revisit After the Omenpath Arc? Part 1

Rebuilding Inalla, Archmage Ritualist With Final Fantasy Cards

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
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In conjunction with the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), Wizards of the Coast is releasing a new Secret Lair drop on Monday, June 16th! Dubbed Nuestra Magia, this new drop launches at 9 AM Pacific (or Noon Eastern). This drop benefits NALAC and is print-to-demand! What's inside? Let's take a look!
<h2>Secret Lair x NALAC: Nuestra Magia Base Details</h2>
We <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/upcoming-secret-lair-to-raise-money-for-latino-org">covered this drop almost two weeks ago</a> when Wizards of the Coast announced it. Secret Lair x NALAC: Nuestra Magia contains the following:
<ul>
<li>"La abuela, siempre generosa", a reskin of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Provisioner" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Provisioner</a></li>
<li>"La abundancia de Yucahú", a reskin of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Library" href="#" target="_blank">Sylvan Library</a></li>
<li>"Pastor de Selva", a reskin of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Greenwarden" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Greenwarden</a></li>
<li>"La danza del pueblo", a reskin of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expressive Iteration" href="#" target="_blank">Expressive Iteration</a></li>
<li>"La Madre Tierra", a reskin of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a></li>
<li>"Chancla relámpagos", a reskin of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a></li>
<li>a Food token</li>
<li>a Treasure token</li>
</ul>
This drop will launch at a price of $39.99 for nonfoil and $49.99 for a foil iteration (please note that this is a $10 increase from what was originally announced). 50% of the proceeds will go towards NALAC. As mentioned above, this Secret Lair drop launches Monday, June 16th and is print-to-demand, but the drop will be live until July 13th.
<h2>Nuestra Magia Card Gallery</h2>
This beautiful and reverent Secret Lair drop's art was directed by <a href="https://www.ovidiocartagena.com/">Ovidio Cartagena</a>, a longtime Art Director for Magic: The Gathering and Creative Lead on multiple Magic sets. These card images are ultimately credited to Wizards of the Coast:
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/01-Tireless-Provisioner.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156416" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/01-Tireless-Provisioner.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/01-Tireless-Provisioner.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/01-Tireless-Provisioner-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/02-Sylvan-Library.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156417" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/02-Sylvan-Library.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/02-Sylvan-Library.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/02-Sylvan-Library-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/03-Ancient-Greenwarden.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156418" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/03-Ancient-Greenwarden.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/03-Ancient-Greenwarden.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/03-Ancient-Greenwarden-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/04-Expressive-Iteration.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156419" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/04-Expressive-Iteration.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/04-Expressive-Iteration.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/04-Expressive-Iteration-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/05-Xenagos-God-of-Revels.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156420" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/05-Xenagos-God-of-Revels.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/05-Xenagos-God-of-Revels.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/05-Xenagos-God-of-Revels-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06-Lightning-Greaves.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156421" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06-Lightning-Greaves.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06-Lightning-Greaves.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/06-Lightning-Greaves-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/07-Sol-Ring.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156422" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/07-Sol-Ring.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/07-Sol-Ring.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/07-Sol-Ring-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/08-Food-token.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156423" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/08-Food-token.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/08-Food-token.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/08-Food-token-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/09-Treasure-token.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156424" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/09-Treasure-token.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/09-Treasure-token.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/09-Treasure-token-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a>
The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) is the nation's premier nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development, and cultivation of the Latino arts field. For more information about NALAC and its programs, or to support our work in advancing Latinx arts and culture, please visit <a href="http://www.nalac.org/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.nalac.org</a>.
Are you excited for this new Secret Lair benefiting NALAC? Do you want any of the cards in particular? Sound off below!

Secret Lair X Nuestra Magia Drop Launches Monday, June 16th

Mark your calendars, Final Fantasy fans! <a href="https://archidekt.com/flyquest?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Archidekt is teaming up with FlyQuest</a>, a multi-title American esports organization, to host the epic celebrity Duel Land event!
Duel Land is a streaming charity and Final Fantasy prerelease tournament hosted by <a href="https://x.com/FlyQuest">FlyQuest</a>, featuring sixteen well-known names from the Magic and esports worlds.
These titans of their respective gaming universes will clash head-to-head from Saturday, June 14th (tomorrow) through June 15th, for $5,000 to go to the charity of the winning team's choice.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Introducing Duel Land: A Celebrity Magic: The Gathering Tournament" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2B7-O30WSwI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Who's Hosting the Event?</h2>
<a href="https://archidekt.com/flyquest?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brought to you by Archidekt</a>, Duel Land will be hosted by Magic personality Brian Kibler and esports veteran Travis Gafford. The event seeks to put sixteen creators into eight teams of two for this 2-day 2HG competition.
Each team shall consist of a Magic player and an esports player. The format? Final Fantasy 2-Headed Giant Sealed.
Your favorite MTG and esports personalities will also be showcasing some of Archidekt's coolest collection and deckbuilding features to check out on stream as you brew up your own Final Fantasy decks.
<h3>What Does the Event Schedule Look Like?</h3>
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-155176 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png" alt="flyquest event schedule" width="512" height="236" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule.png 512w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/eventschedule-300x138.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a>
On Day One, the competing teams will be put into two groups to compete. Those players are in the image below!
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156135" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg" alt="The sixteen Duel Land competitors" width="994" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players.jpg 1920w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-300x169.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-768x432.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Duel-Land-players-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 994px) 100vw, 994px" /></a>
The top two teams from each group will face each other on Day Two for the title, and $5,000 to go to the charity of their choice.
You can also<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/EDHRECast?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> expect to see the EDHRECast</a> at the event for a Commander Showmatch on Day Two!
Day Three also promises epic action on the Bracket stage!
<h2>Where Can I Watch?</h2>
The Duel Land charity event will be streaming LIVE on June 14th and 15th!
<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/FLYQUEST?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Be sure to bookmark the FlyQuest Twitch page</a> and get notifications for match start times.
For more information on this prestigious for-charity event, you can also visit <a href="https://flyquest.gg/pages/duelland?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FlyQuest's dedicated event page</a>.
Which celebrities and MTG personalities do you think will head up this epic charity prerelease event?
<a href="http://twitch.tv/flyquest">Stay tuned for this event</a>, starting tomorrow!

Archidekt x FlyQuest Duel Land Event Begins June 14th

Today is Thursday, June 12th, and the final day of our Final Fantasy Count-Up series! Every day for the past fifteen days, I have compiled my picks for the best and most flavorful cards from each mainline game in the series. Yesterday, we covered FFXV. Today, we wrap things up with Final Fantasy XVI!
To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. Today's list will have just one card.</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's finish things off by taking a good look at the best cards from FFXVI!
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion"></div></div>
Our final Honorable Mention is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</a>. This legendary creature is a major deal in the context of Final Fantasy. The concept of the "Ultima Weapon" spans games all the way back to FFII, and has made appearances throughout the series. However, Ultima as we know it in FFXVI is a different enemy altogether. It is the final boss and main antagonist of the game. Very few Final Fantasy concepts have the distinction of being referred to as Ultima, but this is the most distinctive Ultima in modern FF.
Why is Ultima just an Honorable Mention, then? Well, the card is too niche to be Best as a Commander, nor is it Best in the 99 of a lot of the decks around. It could be a runner for Most Flavorful, but we have a better choice for that category as well. But Ultima is too important in the franchise's overall lore to ignore outright. That's why Ultima was my pick for Honorable Mention.
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant</a> is a really neat card to lead a Commander deck with. I've written a Bracket 2 deck tech about Joshua, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/forging-rebirth-with-joshua-phoenixs-dominant">which you can check out here</a>. I've written pretty extensively as to why he would be a good commander in that article, my own name aside, but as a refresher, Joshua is relatively novel. He does something no other commander can do quite as well in the white-red color identity. He is arguably a better recursion commander than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hofri Ghostforge" href="#" target="_blank">Hofri Ghostforge</a> and a better Phoenix kindred commander than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otharri, Suns&#039; Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Otharri, Suns&#039; Glory</a>. He is my pick, potentially due to bias, for Best as a Commander.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive&#039;s Hideaway"></div></div>
Of all the Town cards in the new set, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive&#039;s Hideaway" href="#" target="_blank">Clive&#039;s Hideaway</a> is not only the most ubiquitous but also the most useful. As a colorless land, it can be used in any Commander deck. Furthermore, its Hideaway ability isn't tied to it entering tapped. As the land doesn't enter tapped anyway, it can cast the exiled card that same turn if its conditions are met. This means that if you have at least four legendary creatures on the battlefield when you play Clive's Hideaway, you'll be able to cast that card on the same turn for 2 mana. That's absolutely nothing to sniff at and is one of the big reasons why this card is my pick for Best in the 99.
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torgal, A Fine Hound"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torgal, A Fine Hound" href="#" target="_blank">Torgal, A Fine Hound</a> is best boy. 'Nuff said.
But in all seriousness, Torgal is a great creature for Human, Wolf, Dog, and even Werewolf kindred decks. Overall, Torgal is my pick for Most Flavorful, though, because he's a good boy. One might even suggest he's the "goodest" of boys in context.
This brings us to the Best In Show for FFXVI. Which card came out on top?
<h2>Final Fantasy XVI Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant"></div></div>
It's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant</a>!
Clive is a strong commander for . He is a discard outlet, a draw engine, a removal spell, and a mana outlet all in one card. That's something special. Plus, you then have a 9/9 beater for a turn of destruction (more if he is given haste). And then, you get to do it all over again! That's massive for even a 6-mana creature, and is why Clive is my pick for Best In Show.
And so, the sun sets on our Final Fantasy Count-Up series! Did you like this series? What was your favorite article out of all sixteen, and what did you agree/disagree with most? Sound off in the comments! And, if you haven't yet, please feel free to read the previous entries as well. Those are below!
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: FFI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: FFII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: FFIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: FFIV</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 7: FFVII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FFVIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: FFIX</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: FFX</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: FFXI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: FFXII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 13: FFXIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fourteen-ffxiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 14: FFXIV</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fifteen-ffxv">Day 15: FFXV</a>

Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Sixteen: FFXVI

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Chromatic Lantern | Illustrated by David Alvarez</h6>
&nbsp;
June is Pride Month, and people of many walks of life are celebrating LGBTQIA+ lives and legacies this month. Wizards of the Coast is no exception! All this month, they are showing their many ways to celebrate Pride. On Monday, June 9th, Wizards explained exactly how they're going about it!
<h2>Magic Presents: Pride</h2>
From June 27th-29th, participating Wizards Play Network stores will conduct Magic Presents: Pride, a Magic: The Gathering celebration of Pride Month. Commander is the name of the game here, but with a twist in that every commander-eligible legendary is treated as having the partner mechanic! Feel free to pair any two legendary creatures together (regardless of orientation or gender expression) and make a deck based around their unity and synergies. It will be a great time to get together and play some Commander with friends in an interesting format twist.
Furthermore, participating WPN stores may offer participants a promotional copy of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a> (while supplies last). These promos feature <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niko Aris" href="#" target="_blank">Niko Aris</a> and are illustrated by David Alvarez. They look like this!
<div id="attachment_156016" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/apW61E1Lvm.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156016" class="wp-image-156016" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/apW61E1Lvm.png" alt="Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/apW61E1Lvm.png 744w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/apW61E1Lvm-215x300.png 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/apW61E1Lvm-733x1024.png 733w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a>Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</div>
Beyond this, according to the article on <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/celebrate-pride-at-your-local-game-store-and-beyond">DailyMTG</a>:
<blockquote>The Chromatic Lantern promo card we're releasing with Magic Presents: Pride was a Studio X-wide effort, with members of Worldbuilding, WPN, Marketing, and Design working to create a card worthy of being our first WPN Pride promo.
To celebrate this and put a spotlight on the folks behind it, The Magic Story Podcast will be releasing a behind-the-scenes video with Senior Worldbuilding Game Designer Neale LaPlante Johnson and Wizards Pride ERG President Meredith Pendragon. Stay tuned!</blockquote>
<h2>More Magic Stories On Audiobook For Pride Month</h2>
Speaking of The Magic Story Podcast, Vorthos Magic enthusiasts should rejoice! Wizards of the Coast has announced that they'll be releasing four Magic short stories on audiobook that revolve around LGBTQIA+ characters of the Magic Multiverse:
<blockquote>Hosts Natalie Kreider and Harless Snyder will narrate four brand-new audiobooks for The Magic Story Podcast. Additionally, we'll republish these stories on DailyMTG for your reading and listening pleasure. Check back on these dates to listen to some stellar stories:
<ul>
<li>June 10: "Note for a Stranger" by Alison Lührs</li>
<li>June 12: "Know Which Way the Wind Is Blowing" by Setsu Uzumé</li>
<li>June 16: "His Eyes, All of Them" by Margaret Killjoy</li>
<li>June 17: "Aim Through the Target" by Setsu Uzumé</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<h2>Pride At MagicCon</h2>
The fun doesn't stop there! At MagicCon: Las Vegas, Wizards of the Coast is collaborating with their Pride Employee Resource Group (or the Wizards ERG) and <a href="https://www.birdsofmtg.com/">Birds of Paradise</a>, a collective of Magic players, to introduce <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/the-gathering-grounds.html">the Gathering Grounds</a>, "a dedicated space for celebrating and uplifting marginalized [Magic] communities". They'll be hosting the Magic Presents event a week early at MagicCon!
<h2>Pride Dice, Shirts, and Playmats</h2>
Beyond MagicCon and your local game store, the Wizards of the Coast webstore is selling special t-shirts and playmats. Have a look!
(Image credits: Wizards of the Coast)
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3yOe4gXkZm.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156017" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3yOe4gXkZm.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3yOe4gXkZm.jpg 900w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3yOe4gXkZm-300x300.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3yOe4gXkZm-150x150.jpg 150w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3yOe4gXkZm-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/On2FIuW7aQ.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156018" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/On2FIuW7aQ.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/On2FIuW7aQ.jpg 900w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/On2FIuW7aQ-300x300.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/On2FIuW7aQ-150x150.jpg 150w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/On2FIuW7aQ-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156022" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo.jpg 1200w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo-300x300.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo-150x150.jpg 150w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Magic_bVSQuEgLfo-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156019" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo.jpg 1200w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo-300x300.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo-150x150.jpg 150w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragons_bVSQuEgLfo-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-scaled.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156020" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-scaled.png" alt="" width="987" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-scaled.png 2560w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-300x170.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-1024x580.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-768x435.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-1536x870.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NikoPlaymat-2048x1160.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-scaled.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-156021" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-scaled.png" alt="" width="987" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-scaled.png 2560w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-300x170.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-1024x580.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-768x435.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-1536x870.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DungeonsAndDragonsPlaymat-2048x1160.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px" /></a>
You'll be able to find the t-shirts and playmats at the <a href="https://mtgproshop.com/collections/pride">MTG Pro Shop</a> webstore from June 16th through July 31st! Plus, the dice and dice holder are evergreen products and there are many different avenues both online and off to purchase them. For every set of dice sold, $5 will go towards <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/">The Trevor Project</a>, and for every dice holder, $28 will be donated there as well!
<h2>Wizards of the Coast at Seattle Pride</h2>
Finally, Wizards of the Coast will be parading at Seattle Pride! According to the article:
<blockquote>On Sunday, June 29, the Seattle Pride Parade kicks off at Westlake Park. Wizards of the Coast—as we have done in past years—will be joining the parade alongside thousands of others. We're excited to support Seattle Pride and their invaluable work toward promoting celebration and visibility.
Wizards of the Coast has been closely involved with our local Seattle community. From local gaming groups to larger charitable organizations, we believe in giving back to the place that we call home.</blockquote>
Are you excited about any of these Pride Month events? Sound off below!

Magic: The Gathering Celebrates Pride Month This June

<div id="attachment_155871" class="wp-caption alignright">
The EDHRECast live at Magic Con Chicago 2025, photo credit: Nick Wolf
</div>
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<h2>What Is the International Day of Play?</h2>
On June 11, 2025, EDHREC is happy to celebrate International Day of Play (IDOP)!
Marking the importance of play in children's lives is the primary goal of IDOP. Even for adults, making some time to move away from screens into the open-world RPG that is life is a great way to celebrate the holiday through in-person play.
Various organizations across the globe are celebrating IDOP. Even the United Nations is taking part in this holiday!
According to <a href="https://www.un.org/en/delegate/international-day-play-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their press release on the subject</a>, 2025 marks the second year of the celebration of a person's right to engage in play. Their release goes on to say:
<blockquote>Building on the success of the inaugural International Day of Play in 2024 and the adoption of the General Assembly resolution recognizing every child’s right to play, we are pleased [...] to participate in the 2025 celebration of the International Day of Play (IDOP) [...] This year’s celebration will move from conversation to commitment. We hope to see broad and meaningful participation from Member States to help advance the right to play in practical and visible ways.</blockquote>
International Day of Play is a worldwide holiday that emphasizes a child's right to play.
However, everyone needs some time for their own leisure and play now and again.
<h3>What Are Some Ways I Can Participate?</h3>
<a href="https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-celebrates-international-day-play-global-initiatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hasbro has announced</a> family-friendly, in-person Dungeons &amp; Dragons events at over 300 local gaming stores (LGS) nationwide.
Plus, with Magic: The Gathering's tentpole Final Fantasy set releasing on June 13th, many gamers are looking forward to a jam-packed weekend of play.
<div id="attachment_155873" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155873" class="wp-image-155873" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-768x1024.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-225x300.jpg 225w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/mattmorgansealedpool.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a>Matt Morgan of the EDHRECast's Final Fantasy Sealed deck</div>
In addition, Hasbro is teaming up with the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America to spearhead multiple Dungeons &amp; Dragons campaigns at after-school programs. According to Hasbro's release:
<blockquote>Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast is piloting official afterschool D&amp;D clubs at 10 <a id="modalLink" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bgca.org%2F&amp;esheet=54271231&amp;newsitemid=20250609564065&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Boys+%26amp%3B+Girls+Clubs&amp;index=4&amp;md5=43f6949839d0d8e359f3ea9a70f78cce" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" shape="rect">Boys &amp; Girls Clubs</a> nationwide, complete with mini libraries, game materials, and support to train the next generation of Dungeon Masters. To celebrate, Hasbro volunteers will be visiting a local Boys &amp; Girls Club to bring the fun in person.</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Magic: The Gathering is also a great way to play! Here at EDHREC, we encourage you to take your best and most fun Commander decks to your LGS and see if you can make new friends, sling some spells, and enjoy the gathering that makes Magic so great.
<h2>Play Alongside the EDHRECast at MagicCon Las Vegas</h2>
MagicCon Vegas is just around the corner, so if you're looking to play at the event, the EDHRECast's got you covered! Joey Schultz, Dana Roach, and Matt Morgan will be available for <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=901484&amp;panel-name=Meet-EDHRec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meet and greets on Saturday, June 20th</a>, from 10:30am to 12pm!
And speaking of in-person play, you'll also be able to <a href="https://mcvegas.mtgfestivals.com/en-us/experience/panels-and-events/panel-information.html?gtID=898650&amp;panel-name=EDHRECast-Live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Challenge the Stats in person</a> with the Cast at MagicCon Las Vegas!
<div id="attachment_155946" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155946" class="wp-image-155946 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1024x698.jpg" alt="edhrecast photo at magic con chicago 25" width="1024" height="698" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-300x205.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-768x524.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-1536x1047.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EDHRECast21-1-2048x1396.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>The EDHRECast live at Magic Con Chicago 2025, photo credit: Nick Wolf</div>
Stop by the Spindown Panel Room S224, June 21 at 4 pm, to showcase your data knowledge and chat with the cast LIVE! Test your chops against our panelists.
<blockquote>In this live version of our popular Challenge the Stats segment, audience members will be given a chance to go head to head against one of the show hosts to guess various stats on cards and decks from the EDHREC database. Do you know better than the Necromancer himself Joey Schultz what the most popular graveyard commander is in Boros? Can you out-guess Mr. Selesnya Matt Morgan about which green/white card shows up highest among the most popular cards on the site? Will you out-hipster Dana Roach by correctly naming the most-built commander from Ice Age? This is your chance to challenge our stats and see what we know live and in person.</blockquote>
This event requires no pre-registration and is first-come, first-serve, so make sure you get to the Panel Room S224 in time to grab a seat and get ready to play!

EDHREC Celebrates International Day of Play 2025

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
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Today is Wednesday, June 11th, the second-to-last day before Final Fantasy's Magic: The Gathering set officially releases! As such, it's time to continue our Count-Up series. Each day leading up to Friday, June 13th, I've been compiling the best and most flavorful cards from each mainline game in the series. Yesterday, we looked at FFXIV, and today we'll be covering Final Fantasy XV!
To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. Today's list will have three cards.</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's hit the road and delve into the wide world of FFXV!
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prompto Argentum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gladiolus Amicitia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ignis Scientia"></div></div>
I chose Noctis's retainers/friends as FFXV's Honorable Mentions. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prompto Argentum" href="#" target="_blank">Prompto Argentum</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gladiolus Amicitia" href="#" target="_blank">Gladiolus Amicitia</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ignis Scientia" href="#" target="_blank">Ignis Scientia</a> are all interesting cards individually. They each have their own niche usage in the context of Magic, just as in Final Fantasy XV. But they're also best evaluated as a team (and especially alongside Noctis). Where is Noctis, you may ask? You'll see later. But because of this grouping, they're best as our Honorable Mentions.
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ardyn, the Usurper"></div></div>
My Best as a Commander pick is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a>. Ardyn is a fabulous Demon-kindred commander option in mono-black, despite not being a Demon himself. He instead brings out the very worst in everyone, turning the dead into Demon creatures with a bunch of extra keywords. You can read <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-demon-typal-deck-with-ardyn-the-usurper">our deck tech on Ardyn here</a> to find out more about how absolutely awesome Ardyn is. You don't have to take my word for that. And granted, he costs 8 mana, but that's an easy enough cost to pay in black.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">The Regalia</a>
We are really focusing on a lot of legendary cards in this Count-Up entry, huh? The Regalia is a powerful Vehicle card that can quickly get you ramping on lands. While it costs a somewhat-frustrating 4 mana to cast, having haste and the low, low crewing cost of 1 means it'll be useful soon thereafter. Vroom, vroom!
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Adamantoise"></div></div>
Creatures like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Adamantoise" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Adamantoise</a> are decidedly very easy to encounter in the context of Magic: The Gathering. Note that I don't mean based on what it does; rather, I mean its level of impact on the game. However, Ancient Adamantoise is a 20-hour fight in Final Fantasy XV and rightly so. Its defenses are nigh-impenetrable. So, too, will this creature protect you in a huge way in a given Commander game. That in itself is enough to give this titanic Turtle the Most Flavorful distinction for this subset.
And so, that brings us to my Best In Show. What card could it be?
<h2>Final Fantasy XV Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Noctis, Prince of Lucis"></div></div>
It's no surprise that our Best In Show is Noctis! <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Noctis, Prince of Lucis" href="#" target="_blank">Noctis, Prince of Lucis</a> is a powerful white-blue-black commander that's firing on all cylinders immediately out of the gate. He's a fantastic card that even has some cEDH potential (due to his ability's interactions with cheap, instantaneously-countered artifacts and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a>). Noctis has shown himself to be a competent card in the format and is our Best In Show primarily for that reason.
Unfortunately, he can't join his comrades/retainers in a given deck led by any of them. However, he has a Through the Ages reskin wherein he is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a> who can field them all, even this iteration of Noctis as well.
With that, we conclude our Count-Up entry on Final Fantasy XV! Have you ever played FFXV? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below. And, if you like this series so far, please stay tuned as tomorrow we go over FFXVI, the final entry in this series! The rest of the articles can be found in the links below!
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: FFI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: FFII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: FFIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: FFIV</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 7: FFVII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FFVIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: FFIX</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: FFX</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: FFXI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: FFXII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 13: FFXIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fourteen-ffxiv">Day 14: FFXIV</a>

Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Fifteen: FFXV

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
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It's Tuesday, June 10th, and we are still three days away from the release of the Final Fantasy Magic set! Meanwhile, I've been hard at work covering the best and most flavorful cards from every mainline game in the series for our 16-day Count-Up! Yesterday I covered FFXIII; today, I'm looking at Final Fantasy XIV!
To reiterate, here is the criteria I'm looking at:
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. Today's list will have one card in this category.</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's look at some amazing FFXIV cards!
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matoya, Archon Elder"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matoya, Archon Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Matoya, Archon Elder</a> is a deceptively strong creature. She puts in more work as a good imitation of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a>, but somehow her ability is even better. While she doesn't draw quite as many cards as Eligeth does, she allows you to improve the quality of the draw she provides. What's more, she also triggers off of surveilling, which is a big part of Magic these days.
The primary reason Matoya is only an Honorable Mention for this subset of cards is that she's outclassed by a ton of cards that are even better than she is. Let's take a look at some of them!
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emet-Selch, Unsundered"></div></div>
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a copy of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth&#039;s Will</a> in your command zone? If you've never owned a copy of Yawgmoth's Will but can appreciate the value it provides, chances are good that you have. Well, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch, Unsundered" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch, Unsundered</a> is very much that card. While rather unassuming on its front face, Emet-Selch eventually transforms into a permanent version of Yawgmoth's Will on its rear face. While this version only works on your turns, it's still a fantastic iteration of an arguably broken effect. As such, Emet-Selch is my pick for Best as a Commander for Final Fantasy XIV.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Confidant"></div></div>
"Bob" is back! Designed by Magic Invitational winner Bob Maher back for the original Ravnica: City of Guilds, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a> has finally come home to Standard. However, that doesn't mean he's out of place in Commander! For a simple and low cost of and some life, you can have all the comforts of extra card advantage at each of your upkeep steps. Maher's elegant design shines through this card even today, providing "greatness, at any cost" (to quote the original Ravnica flavor text).
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Primal Odin"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Primal Odin" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Primal Odin</a> is a card that, understandably, evokes Primal Odin, a figure in Final Fantasy XIV that you must face at a given point in the game. He does, in fact, take a party member out of the game with his might during that portion of combat, I'm told, and as such, his Zantetsuken ability on the card aligns well with the things the game's iteration is capable of. With that in mind, Summon: Primal Odin is my pick for Most Flavorful.
With that, we come to Final Fantasy XIV's Best In Show. There are 43 eligible entries in the entire subset and 39 cards left after the above. So, what won out? Well...
<h2>Final Fantasy XIV Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel"></div></div>
It's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a>!
The Wandering Minstrel is nothing short of amazing. His basic affinities for Town lands mean it's easier to build around those kinds of nonbasic lands with him. Plus, as a 2-cost, five-color commander he can be used with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umori, the Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Umori, the Collector</a>, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a> as companions. That's assuming you build The Wandering Minstrel around them, but all are technically eligible companions for him.
Lorewise, The Wandering Minstrel is, in the game, a self-insert by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoki_Yoshida">Naoki Yoshida</a>. Also known as "Yoshi-P", Yoshida is a major game producer, director, and designer for Square Enix. Most notably, he produced Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn! As such, he needed to be our Best In Show for the subset - I accept no substitutions here.
With that, we wrap up our coverage of Final Fantasy XIV. This set has a lot of FFXIV representation compared to many other games in the series. How did you feel we fared with this list? Do you think we missed anything of note? Sound off in the comments! And, please feel free to look at our entries for previous games in the various links below!
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: FFI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: FFII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: FFIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: FFIV</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 7: FFVII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FFVIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: FFIX</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: FFX</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: FFXI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: FFXII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii">Day 13: FFXIII</a>

Josh Nelson